As the stage cleared and the dust settled on the first HebCelt, Caroline Maclennan wondered whether there would be a second.
An ambitious desire to host a music festival in the Outer Hebrides had succeeded, but its debut suffered a loss of £6,000 (10% of budget).
“It took a lot for us then to make the decision to keep going and try to do another one”, Caroline recalls.
Festival has gone from strength to strength
But the early organisers had the courage to continue and the following year turned the loss into a small surplus.
From that first HebCelt in 1996 the festival has gone from strength to strength.
Later this month, a return to full live events will see it finally mark its Covid-delayed 25th anniversary.
It will be a final curtain call for Caroline who is stepping down as festival director after this summer’s event.
She leaves the event in good health and a knowledge audience demand is higher than ever.
An unprecedented scramble for post-Covid tickets meant early bird tickets released in September sold out in a day and the festival is heading for a sell-out.
Slide to see how the festival site has grown over the years
“I didn’t really think of the 25-year milestone when I decided to step away”, says Caroline.
“I’ve felt for some time that a pair of fresh eyes is needed.
“It’s important that I’m leaving while the festival is in good shape.
“There seems to be a real appetite for it this year. Everyone is desperate for it to return.
“Everyone we talk to from businesses, regular festival goers and contractors are saying how great it is to have the festival to look forward to.”
Enthusiasm wasn’t quite so strong in the early days. She remembers they gave away tickets to community groups for the first festival.
Huge learning curve
That helped swell numbers for the inaugural event to 1,200 over four days with headliners including Davy Spillane, Dougie MacLean, Wolfstone and Shooglenifty.
“It was a huge learning curve for everyone. We were all volunteers and liable for any losses sustained.
“But we carried on the next year and turned it around. We’ve never looked back since.”
It was a success in many ways for Caroline and other similarly minded and ambitious volunteers who felt the Outer Hebrides was missing out on large scale music events.
“We wanted to put on a great show for our local audience, and that is very much still the focus.”
While other festivals have not survived, HebCelt has evolved into an award-winning international showpiece for traditional music as well as the Gaelic heritage and culture.
It now attracts 18,000 annual attendances, generating around £2 million for the local economy every year.
Over the years the HebCelt stage has been graced by artists such as Van Morrison, Runrig, Imelda May, The Proclaimers, KT Tunstall, The Waterboys and Eddi Reader.
At festival time the event dominates Stornoway and outlying places in the islands.
Such is its popularity that an annual appeal is made for accommodation with hotels, B&Bs and caravan and camping sites full.
Performances are spread over three stages on the Castle Green in front of Lews Castle in Stornoway, as well as in An Lanntair arts centre and throughout the rural community.
HebCelt brings carnival atmosphere to Stornoway
The carnival atmosphere spreads from the crammed ferries to the crowded bars and restaurants and into the streets.
Local traders say it’s their busiest time outside the festive period, so its presence, and absence, has a major impact.
Staging this takes over 3,500 contributed man hours over the course of four days, a 180-strong volunteer army swelled by overseas visitors, many of whom return every year.
Caroline credits the success to the festival’s music, setting and community.
It nurtures and champions local talent in a location to which visitors are drawn and want to return.
She uses the ‘pot of paint at midnight’ analogy to illustrate that, whatever may be needed at whatever time to ensure the show goes on, it will somehow appear.
“The biggest success is that we’re still here doing what we do, and hopefully we continue to evolve and improve.
“The fact it’s still going strong after 25 years is quite something.
“But, for me, the best of part of the festival is having all the team here making it happen.
“I’ve loved working with them and they are such an important part of my family now.”
Deputy festival director Graham MacCallum paid tribute to the departing Caroline.
“The growth and success of HebCelt is due in no small part to Caroline’s tireless dedication and passion for the event.
“Since its inception, Caroline has been the driving force and inspiration for the festival, navigating many highs and occasional lows over the years.”
Festival legacy will last for years
He said she champions the islands’ music, culture and language at home and abroad at international events, gaining universally-recognised respect among her peers.
“She leaves a legacy for the Hebcelt family and wider community that will last for years to come.”
The 25th anniversary HebCelt is being held from July 13-16.
Headliners Texas, Seasick Steve and Tide Lines are joined by artists including Julie Fowlis, Skipinnish, Colin Macleod, Admiral Fallow, Blue Rose Code and Trail West.
Caroline’s Top 10 HebCelt moments
Davy Spillane sound-checking at the inaugural festival in 1996. “Hearing the noise of the pipes coming over the PA for the first time was so exciting.”
La Bottine Souriante’s unique Québécois sound in 1997. “Just blew us and our audience away. They’ve been back twice since and we always get the same reaction”.
The late Martyn Bennett in 1998. “A truly magical evening. Not traditional and we felt ground breaking at the time, but the audience loved it and indeed that paved the way for us to push the boundaries of our programming.”
Van Morrison’s first festival appearance in 2005. ”Momentous. It is a show that will stay long in my memory for many reasons, but especially the outstanding musicianship of all on stage. And we programmed five amazing local female Gaelic singers to support him, placing our Gaelic culture in front of new audiences”.
Runrig in 2010. “Their laser show was a fabulous touch, but there is nowhere better to hear 5,000 join in the chorus to the Gaelic anthem ‘Eilean Fhraoich’ than in Stornoway”.
Afro Celt Sound System 2011, “Their soundcheck in the afternoon brought a pod of dolphins into the harbour bay, allegedly due to the base beats, but it was quite an amazing sight to behold”.
Eddi Reader 2011 and 2018. “Every time I watch her, I’m rooted to the spot. But watching wee kiddies dancing to songs like Charlie is my Darling is pretty cool”.
Dougie Maclean, 2017. ”Holding court, solo, in front of a packed marquee singing Caledonia joined by the huge audience. A masterful performance”.
Skipinnish in 2018. “The band were joined by Caitlin Lilidh and the Back choir singing their song about the Iolaire disaster. Spine-tingling.”
Newton Faulkner 2019. “A long-awaited, and much-anticipated booking for me, the audience reaction was superb. He is a consummate performer, a genuinely lovely guy, which comes across onstage. My memory is of feeling fuzzy, sun-kissed and calm from that hour listening to him.”
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